Hose or like conduit cleaning device.



G. SCHLEMMER. HOSE OB LIKE COND`U|T CLEANING DEVICE. APPLICATION man APR. 9. 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

G. SCHLEMIVIER.

HOSE 0R LIKE CONDUIT CLEANING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1914.

1,165,455. Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

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HSE R BERT CNLDUT CLEANNG DEVICE.

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Application led April S-lt Serallfo. 255393171.

Wn that 3'., GEORGE Solemn/mme., tneUmted Statea,4 residing at New 'l' om, iii theeouiity of New York and 1 State oie New "York, have invented certain :new and useful mpihoveiiieiits iii Hoseoi vlikev CdaadiiitCleaning Devices; and l do declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact desoi'iptiofa off the invention, suoli as will enable otheis Skilled in the ait to which it appertaios 'iiialie and use the Same, iefei'eoce being 'had to the accompanying; diei/tinge; and to the letters and iguies of .reference marked' theieon, which oim a pait of this specification'.

This invention relates to improveiiieots in oea-niiigelo3ed conduits, .or closed. lic-se circuit-eet' ciia'ractei wherein a cleaning element is piopeiled therethrough Ey iuid presenze.

The object of this invention isto provide a closed' cii'cuit with visible or observable sections, prefeiia'bly disposedat the ends of tiiepatli of movement of 'the cleaning velement, so that thelattef can not only be lo but also enable the' operator to die Cleansing duid and determine the cleaning opeiation has been coiiajpieted.v

"i fee-.tute of this invention to ieduee alier element in diameter with i'etoect to 'the .totemai diametecof the obseiviiigg Sections io such a mamie? avoidtotal iiiteiiimtion of:

"ie eieaiiiiigeleiileiit reaches suoli Sections, toie eetuie being of particniar advaiitaac Where the observing Sections are fu. at tte eiide oi the path of travel oit i element.

feature of novelty consists in olie-piece valve eleieiniit of directing "motid conduit. will t pai'ticularly pointed out in and by the appended claims. f

in the diawing: Figure l View oi' the meeting ends of a ciosed conduit 0i' hose ciicuit, illustrating the connection of Said ends with. the Valve structure., Fig. 2 is asectioiial View on line 2-f2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional View on iiiie 3-3 oi is 'a sectional Fig. l. Fig. l is an end View f one of the inspection or observing sections, is

Fig, 5 a sectional View oi one oi" the 'eroeli umts in the procese of formation. Fie o is Vv in side elevation ofi' one of my liiipio ...ow

abutting diaphragme. 'view thereof.

Like cliaiacteis of iefeience designate siiiiilai parte throughout the didezsent nies of the drawing.

in. the paiticulai' form shown, i desig# mates -vaive casing 'having inlet and outlet nipples o branches 2 and 3, respactivelyT and circuit connecting vbiantlies, fi and 5. Said casing l is provided with an inlet port 6, an Aoutlet port 7, and @ii-cuit poits 8 and 9. Revolulily mounted in said casing is a single or one-piecejvalve element 1G, having ports l and 12 which are arianged iosucif e manner that when the valve is in the-@position shown io Fig. 1, port 11 will connect inlet 6 'with oiicuit loalach 9, Whereas port i2 will connect oiitlet -bi'aiicli 7 With circuit braiieli if the vaiife l0 is given a vegaaiei tum contia-cloclmise fromV the position shown in Fig. l, poit l2 Will connect inlet 6 with branch 8 and branch Q-Will be Connected with. outlet 7 port 1l. Ail eighth oi a tuinwill out oft' flow by closing the ciiouit to communication Witi both the inlet and the outlet.

le the forni shown, il provide a coupling lli connected, with nipple 2 by means of which an inlet hose oi conduit l5 is connectthrougli the medium oi a spreader l@ and a ooapiiiig i?. outlet conduit 1 8 may be likewise connected Witli nipple by means: et a Spreader 195 a coupling 20 and a 'union oi coupling; 2L suitable handle 22 is provided for taining the Valve element l0.

The' opposite ende oit a circuit conduit or iiose are :ated at and' 2%, and as the ion iE each end of the circuit hose with the waive casing is similari in coiistriiction.y only one iieedbe described in detaiL Terminal :2e is provided with a spreader or expander K which is shown connected 'by a eo'aoliloss with the 'thieaded end 27 oi:

- a head 28. The head 28 serves as a seat for one end of a transparent sleeve 29, the other end of which is seated in a casing head'30. The casing head is provided with a reduced threaded end 31, which is threaded into nipple 5 of the valve casing l. A suitable packing 32 is interposed between one end of the sleeve 29 and a shoulder 33 to form a liquid tight joint. An abutlnent spider 34, having an imperforate central portion 35 and radinection with two of the bolts 39, as indicated in Fig. 3, to facilitate connection ofthe section with the threaded nipple 5.

The foregoing structure constitutes a transparent inspection or observation section, one being shown disposed at each end of the closed circuit, it being observed that the internal diameter of the transparent sleeve 29 appreciably exceeds the internal `diameter of the conduit 24,the reason for which will presently appear.

I will next refer to my improved form of cleaning element, which is disposed in the circuit and which is adapted to be propelled therethrough in' opposite directions from one inspection section to the other.

As illustrated, the cleaning element is in the form of a brush, which is shown made up of a plurality of units each of which may comprise a thimble 41 having its ends 42 flared to form an annular .peripheral bristle seat. Lengths of bristles 43 may be bound between their ends in said seat by means of a'binding cord or wire 44, so that the ends of the bristles will project radially7 in a manner to form abristle disk when the unit is completed. After the bristles are secured in place, the margins of the flared ends are collapsed toward each other to tightly bind the bristles therebetween, as indicated in Fig. 1. The bristle disks are shown threaded upon a smooth bolt 45 and may be secured in place by a nut 46 when the latter is turned up. I preferably interpose spacing elements 47 between the 'bristle disks to hold. the same in such spaced relation as to permit them to flex conically toward the rear end of the element, with respect to its direction of travel, under contact with the smaller diametrical interior of the conduit 24. In the form shown, I .have provided centrally disposed bristle disks of slightlyA l greater diameter than the endmost disks so -as to provide a cleaning brush element which p tapers toward its ends to a slight extent,

the brush through the circuit.

ent sleeve 29, so that when the cleaning element abuts against one of the spiders 35, the flow of liquid will not be totally arrested.

A special feature of my invention y consists vin providing the cleaning brush-.with diaphragms of such a. character as w-ill effectively prevent the flow of liquid. therethrough or past the same so as to provide liquid abutments for effective propulsion of As illustrated, I have provided the cleaning element with two such diaphragms, one located opposite the central or greatest diametrical portion thereof, and toward the ends of said element, and as both diaphragms are similar in construction only one need be described 1n detail.

Referring more particularly to Figs. 6'

the diaphragms will lap the interior wall of the conduit and preventI liquid from freely passing the cleaning element.

The various utilities of the device of my invention will be `clearly understood by those skilled in the art,but I desire to call attention to certain material advantages of the various features and structural' parts hereinbefore described.

Assuming that the cleaning element had reached a final position abreast'of abutment 35 with the flow in a direction to the right, in 24, it will be seen that the flow will not be arrested but that it may continue under the observation of the operator, so that he can determine by the clearness of the cleansing liquid to what 'extent further operation is necessary. Furthermore, passage of the cleansing liquid along and through the bristles'of the arrested cleaning brush will serve to clear the bristles thereof from matter picked up thereby and the brush may be allowed to remain in such position, so that such matter will be` carried out of the circuit. 4

VWith, the valve element 10, in the position shown,the flow would be through'inlet 6 to branch 9 and would strike the brush in-l acting upon its diaphragms'would propel the same in the direction of the arrow through end A24 and around the circuit to the bristle disks, so that .the perimeters of the remaining inspection section at the right of the valve structure. A quarter turn of the valve 10, as hereinbefore stated,'would iaesnee 3 reverse the direction of travel of the brush. -Thus the brush can always be located as 'it will be apparent to the operator that when the brush does not arrive at one inspection section, Within a given period, it may be clogged in the circuit, and by simply reversing thefloiv, the brush can be loosened so as to complete its travel.

I desire tov lay the greatest stress yon that feature of my invention which consists in reducingthe conduit interior With respect tothe diameter of the brush, so as to cause the vbrist-les to flex and bear against the interior of the conduit under resilient pressure inherent in the bristles themselves.

.'Furthermore, Within a very material range of. size, conduitsor hose of different diameters may be coupled to the-inspection sec` tions Without alteration or change of the latter. l

While I have herein shown and described one specii'icform of my invention, I do not Wish vto be limited thereto except forsuch limitations as-tlie claims may import.

1; Afconduit cleaning device 4comprising 'in combination, a conduit structure including valve means for directing and reversing thel direction of iiovv through said conduit structure, a cleaning element adapted to be propelled' through said conduit structure and proportioned to engage the interior Wall thereof to clean the same, and an inspection' section interposed in said conduit structure and having an internal cross-sec- ',tion exceeding the internal` cross-section of e. the conduit structure andalso the normal cross- Section of said cleaningpeleinent, substantially as` described. i

2. A conduit cleaning device comprising in.l combination a circuit conduit structure including'valve means for directing and reversing the direction of flow through said structure, a cleaning element having flexible portions for engagement withv the interior i Wall-of the conduit structure and having an increased cross-section with respect to the cross-section of' the conduit structure lto `cause said portions to flex against the Wall of they latter to lclean the same, and av transparentqinspection section interposed in said "conduit structure and having an internal cross-section exceeding the normal unlexed "cross-section of said elen'ient, substantially asdescribed.

-3'. A conduit lcleaning device comprising in combination, a circuit conduit structure including valve means-for selectively directing and reversing the direction of iovv through saidconduit structure, a cleaning element adapted to "be propelled through conduit structure, and a transparent inspection section interposed in said conduit structure and having a perforate flow permitting and element arresting abut-ment therein for bringing said element to a position of rest,

substantially as described.

Je. A conduit cleaning device comprising in combination, a closed circuit conduit structure including transparent inspection sections interposed therein at the terminals and against the abutments thereof as the.

terminals of travel of said element, substantially as described.

6. A conduit cleaning device comprising in combination, a closed circuit conduit structure including a valve casing and a one-piece valve element therein for directing and reversing flow through said structure, a. cleaning element adapted to be propelled through said structure in opposite directions, and abutments for arresting said cleaning element in advance of said valve element in either direction of travel ofthe cleaning element, substantially as described.

7. In a conduit cleaning mechanism, an endless conduit, a cleaning element adapted to be propelled through said conduit, and manually operable Yvalve means for controlling the direction and Ireversing the how through said conduit to direct, limit or reversethe travel of said element, substantially as described.

S. `In a. conduit cleaning mechanism, an endless conduit provided with an inspection portion, a cleaning elementadapted to be propelled through said conduit, and manuallv operable valve means for controlling the direction of and reversing the iiovv to cause said element to reciprocate in said conduit into or past said inspection portion throughout limited lengths of or through the full length of said conduit, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I atliX my signature, in presence of tivo'witnesses.

GEGRGE SGHLEMMER.

Witnesses:

JOHN BIENN, REINHARD ',GESCHWIND. 

